


Last Words

by SaoryEmanoelle



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Hades - Freeform, M/M, ThanZag - Freeform, Zagthan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:26:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29345838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaoryEmanoelle/pseuds/SaoryEmanoelle
Summary: Thanatos talks to his lover in a moment of weakness.
Relationships: Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 64





	Last Words

**Author's Note:**

> I like to imagine that, despite it being an "ordinary" occurrence, Zagreus' death directly impacts Thanatos. Even though he's Death himself, seeing his loved one die must hurt in him. So I wrote this, inspired by this wonderful artwork on twitter: https://twitter.com/wishbaneart/status/1339489994092605440 <3

“Death Approaches”.

That wasn’t the first nor the last time he would say these words. It also wasn’t the first nor the last time Zagreus responded to his arrival with a gentle, happy smile. It was comforting and heartwarming, to see the man he loved overjoyed even as he made his way through chambers and more chambers filled with nothing but blood and death.

Thanatos couldn’t quite get it. That… Desperate need Zagreus had of escaping the Underworld. It would be alright if the issue was just that, resumed to not understanding one's motivations. But alas, finding out about the Prince's goal had hurt him enough to make him feel the same emotion he'd seen on the face of the mortals he’d taken to his realm: Fear.

 _Death doesn’t fear anything_ , he thought. Or at least It should not, as It is the culmination of everything one seeks, the very thing that keeps mortals under control. What makes them live to their fullest, the knowledge that, one day, it all will come to an end.

Truthfully, many mortals accepted Death with an open heart. Some walked with him to the other side with calm and, dare he say, relief. Others, although not happy about it, would simply understand and follow him wherever he went. Most of them, however, would try to push him away, screaming and shouting and asking for more time, realizing they’d wasted their entire life on nothing of value.

Zagreus wasn’t like any of them. He had far more power than anyone could even imagine. Being the son of the Lord of the Dead himself and of the Goddess of Verdure, Zagreus was equally feared and respected by all those around him. Thanatos himself had begun to fear him as he watched him defeat hordes and hordes of wretched beings and eventually take down his very own father.

Now, however, after so many attempts and so many failures, he did not fear the Prince of the Underworld. All he felt toward him was…

“... Zag, why are you doing this?”

That wasn’t the first nor the last time he’d said these words either. The last wretched shade had just fallen beneath him, sent down to the Styx to be reborn and be called upon to fight again in the future, but that didn’t matter. His eyes were focused solely on Zagreus, on the way he now forced himself to breathe, and on the blood that stained his body. On the blood that ran down his mouth.

“I have told you why, Than. I… I am going to see my mother. That’s my purpose. I am sorry if you can’t understand that, but...”

He did understand. Maybe not to the extent that Zagreus expected him to, but Thanatos knew enough about life to see where the Prince was coming from. Children separated from their mothers… It wasn’t an extraordinary event. It happened many times, endless times, over and over, and would keep happening. He saw to that, wherever he was called. Children taken from their parents. Parents taken from their children. People taken from each other’s lives as if they were nothing. Dragged away by a silent gust of wind. An entire life, rendered insignificant near him. It was part of his job, part of his nature.

“Zag...”

But that was not what he was thinking of at the moment. All he could think of was Zag’s labored breathing, of his body covered in sweat and blood. His heart was beating fast, filled with adrenaline but also the will to live. A futile attempt at keeping itself alive.

“I… I am sorry, Than. I... ” Zagreus ran his fingers through his hair, trying to recompose himself. Trying to look strong, trying to look like he could still keep moving forward despite the pain splattered all over his face. “Look, I… I think I might have just made things harder for you... For... Both of us.”

“You didn’t. Things were always hard for both of us.”

The prince looked at him. His beautiful, mismatched eyes shone like nothing Thanatos had ever seen. He, who left the Underworld all the time, who had seen the sun and the stars and the different glimmers in mortal’s eyes. Zagreus’ eyes were brighter than all of that. But now they looked darker. Weak.

“No, I mean... ” 

Zagreus took a step further, lost his balance in the process. Thanatos held him, not only to keep him steady, not only to help him pretend. He held him closely, tightly. Carefully. 

“Maybe if I hadn’t… Spoken to you about this. About… Us.” Zagreus tried again and looked up. Thanatos’ expression was still hard to read, even after so many days and nights together, but he tried. “It would have made things easier...”

There was a deep silence and, while it could be misunderstood as a moment given to them by The Fates, it was nothing but Thanatos own influence, surrounded by the void and nothingness.

No. That silence had nothing to do with Death’s Incarnation. It had to do with the inescapable death of his lover.

“Zag...” He tried again but stopped midway when he felt the prince’s grasp around his body.

“It’s… Always good to see you, Than...” He managed to whisper, holding on tighter to his partner. Longing for his understanding, for his support in his journey even if that put them on opposite sides of the battlefield. “Thank you… For coming...”

“Zagreus, you must stop this.”

Death’s voice was firm but there was a subtle… Fragility to it. He sighed and tightened his arms around the Prince who he loved more than anything and anyone. Death, holding Life against his chest, for they were a perfect fit. A beautiful and yet painful fit.

Zagreus laughed. “You know I can’t, Than.”

“Yes, you can. You… Look at yourself, Zag. Look... ”

That made Zagreus pull back. He looked up at his partner and let out a chuckle.

“Hey... Are you worried about my wounds? Than, you know what's the worst that can happen… I’ll just be back at the house. Back to you again.”

“Of course I know. Everyone here knows. But that is not the point, Zagreus.”

Thanatos’ voice shook again and this time it didn’t go unnoticed by the weakened prince. Zagreus’ features changed and frowned with sadness at the man he loved. “Than...”

“Have you never thought about how this situation makes me feel, just for once?” Thanatos asked, staring into Zagreus’s eyes. “It does not matter if you… If _we_ are immortal. All of us from the Underworld, we are are aware of our duties. Mine is to take and guide the dead to where they belong.”

“You mean… I mean… Am I taking too much of your time? Is that…?”

“I don’t want to take you back home again, Zagreus!”

Zagreus couldn’t find any words to respond. Thanatos grinned his teeth and pondered about how oblivious or plain stupid the son of Hades could be. A gust of guilt dissolved through him and he turned his back to the prince, avoiding his worried gaze.

“How can you not understand… What all of this means to me?”

Thanatos sighed. He could hear the bells singing around him, reminding him he was late, reminding him mortals were rejoicing when they shouldn’t-

“If we simply return after we perish… That does not matter to me. Because every time you die...”

He turned around.

“It’s painful, Zag! I would rather go back home by your side, not… Carrying your dead body in my arms!”

The bells only grew louder and yet Death could not move. It seemed, after all, that even after so many millennia he was still subject to frailty. To emotions and feelings he kept pushing away. Like a relentless waterfall, always flowing and crashing down against whatever lay in its path.

But despite that, they went silent for a moment. A single, serene moment where he felt his lover’s careful touch on his face and leaned into it with no resistance.

“Than, I… I am sorry.” Zagreus whispered. His voice was heavy with honesty and truth and yet so soft and gentle... “You… I had never thought...”

“Yes… I had not either.”

There weren’t words to be exchanged and they were both aware of that. Zagreus would not retreat, he would not give up on his search. Thanatos would not stop aiding him or returning him to the Styx. They couldn’t simply turn their backs to their reality. But on serene moments like this...

“Than…. Look at me.”

Zagreus held his boyfriend’s face and smiled at him. Thanatos tried to look away but even if he did the Prince would still be able to tell what he felt by his blushing cheeks. So he didn’t. Instead, he leaned in and kissed the Prince’s sweet lips. His lips, as sweet as the flavor of nectar or, better yet, of ambrosia. One he thought himself unworthy of tasting but also one that he couldn’t deny.

Zagreus put his arms around his waist and kissed him too, deeply, passionately.

“I... Really made some things harder for us.” Zagreus repeated and leaned on Thanatos, rested on him. “And… I know some things will change. But not all of them. I can promise you that.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“My feelings: My love for you is never going to change, Than.”

Thanatos smiled. He reached over and caressed Zagreus’ hair. Always soft to the touch despite being a mess. He held the prince for a while longer, just enough until the bells interrupted them again and he was reminded of his duties. Reminded that they needed to part ways.

“So…Shall we get back to work?” Zagreus asked, trying to lighten up the mood. He recomposed himself, took a deep breath, and stared into the eyes of Death.

Thanatos forced a smile.

“See you back home, Zag.”

Zagreus smiled. He waited until Thanatos disappeared and walked to another chamber, trying to catch his breath. Resisting. He looked back, back to where Thanatos was just a second ago, and uttered his last words.

“See you back home, Than.”


End file.
